The jaw joint, that is, the temporamandibular joint, is actually one of the hardest-working joints of our body. He is always active while eating and talking. The muscles that move the jaw joint are among the strongest muscles in our body, depending on their size. Thanks to these muscles, it can apply up to 90 kg of pressure while chewing other foods. For this reason, very heavy loads can be placed on the jaw joint.
The structure of the jaw joint is different from other body joints. It moves by making a combined movement of both sliding and turning. There is a cartilage disc between the tip of the jawbone (mandible) and the two bones in its socket in the temporal bone. This disc should rest between the mandible bone and temporal bone. It facilitates movement during movement. The basis of most jaw joint problems is impaired movement of this disc. As the disorder progresses, permanent changes begin first in the structure of the disc and then in the structure of the joint.
There are many problems that can cause disorders in the jaw joint. The most important and most common of these is teeth clenching (grinding - bruxism). Bad habits follow. There are a lot of people who gnaw their nails with their teeth, the backs of pencils, and open bottle caps. Crushing hard-shelled fruits (hazelnuts, walnuts) with one's teeth is one of them. The causes we see less frequently are inflammatory joint rheumatism that can affect this joint. Ultimately, if left untreated, all of them can lead to loss of function in the jaw joint in the long term.
Tooth grinding (bruxism) is a very common condition. Generally, excessive stress, distress and depression can trigger this, but sometimes it may not. People who live alone may not notice this. Couples often say that their spouse grinds his teeth at night. Patients who clench their teeth a lot may wake up in the morning with jaw joint pain and sometimes a headache. This sometimes happens so severely that teeth break and surface deterioration occurs. Sometimes this situation can be detected by the dentists the patient consults.
The first complaint in jaw joint problems due to bruxism or other reasons is usually a sound coming from the jaw joint while eating. Although it is usually unilateral, it can also be bilateral. Although there may be no pain in the beginning, pain is added later. After a while, mouth opening begins to decrease. Sick mouth He realizes that he cannot open as much as he wants.
Treatment of jaw joint problems should be directed towards the cause. First of all, the patient must quit bad oral habits. Hard foods should not be consumed. Teeth grinding must be treated. Thanks to the botox injection into the patient's jaw muscles, the muscles relax and the patient cannot clench his jaw. This injection needs to be repeated every 3-4 months. Oral plates that prevent damage to teeth should be used in necessary patients. In patients with decreased mouth opening and joint restriction, which we call contracture, the mouth opening can usually be restored with physical therapy and manipulation treatments applied to the joint.
Treatment of jaw joint problems can be challenging and lengthy. Although results are generally achieved with methods such as conventional methods, botox injections, manipulation, and intra-articular injections, it is extremely important for the treatment that patients do not come to the doctor at a very late stage.
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